GETHOSTNAME(3) | Library Functions Manual | GETHOSTNAME(3)

# NAME

gethostname, sethostname — get/set name of current host

# LIBRARY

Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

# SYNOPSIS

#include <unistd.h>

int
gethostname(char *name, size_t namelen);

int
sethostname(const char *name, size_t namelen);

# DESCRIPTION

gethostname() returns the standard host name for the current processor, as previously set by sethostname(). The parameter namelen specifies the size of the name array. The returned name is null-terminated unless insufficient space is provided.

sethostname() sets the name of the host machine to be name, which has length namelen. This call is restricted to the super-user and is normally used only when the system is bootstrapped.

# RETURN VALUES

If the call succeeds a value of 0 is returned. If the call fails, a value of -1 is returned and an error code is placed in the global location errno.

# ERRORS

If the gethostname() or sethostname() functions fail, they will set errno for any of the errors specified for the routine sysctl(3).

# SEE ALSO

gethostid(3), sysctl(3), sysctl(8)

# STANDARDS

The gethostname() function conforms to X/Open Portability Guide Issue 4, Version 2 (“XPG4.2”).

# HISTORY

The gethostname function call appeared in 4.2BSD.

# BUGS

Host names are limited to MAXHOSTNAMELEN (from <sys/param.h>) characters including null-termination, currently 256.

October 14, 2005 | NetBSD 7.2